From Le Tre Venezie to the Veneto: The Evolution of a Tourist Imaginary in the Region’s Institutional Tourism Communication (1919–1970)

This paper investigates the evolution of the promotional image of the Veneto region in institutional tourism communication between 1919 and 1970, tracing the shift from a fragmented construct to a seemingly more cohesive regional identity. In the interwar period, Veneto was framed through the tripartite division of Le Tre Venezie (Venezia Euganea, Venezia Tridentina and Venezia Giulia), a geopolitical categorisation that shaped the strategies of the Ente Nazionale Italiano per il Turismo (ENIT). From the 1950s onwards, this fragmented imagery gradually gave way to a more integrated conception of “the Veneto”, reinforced by the political-administrative reorganisation of the Italian regions in 1970. Addressing a gap in the literature on earlier institutional tourism communication, the study adopts a qualitative multimodal analysis of materials from the DIETALY project (Destination Italy in English Translation and Language over the Years). The findings show that representations of Veneto were closely linked to broader political and economic transformations, including Fascist nation-building, post-war recovery, and the rise of mass tourism. Promotional narratives consistently highlighted Alpine and Dolomite landscapes, art cities, spa resorts and war memorials, reinforcing local distinctiveness while complicating the emergence of a coherent regional brand. Through selected case studies from the 1920s and 1950s, the paper illustrates both the persistence of fragmentation and the gradual consolidation of Veneto as a unitary tourist destination, and argues that institutional tourist discourse functioned not only as promotion but also as a tool of cultural cohesion. This diachronic approach reveals how historical legacies continue to shape present-day branding challenges, where iconic destinations still dominate the regional image.